Gender Inequality in Democratic Participation: Examining Oral Evidence to the National Assembly for Wales

Women’s presence in politics has been much scrutinised, with emphasis primarily on electoral politics. There has been less scrutiny of those contributing to politics in a non-electoral capacity and the characteristics of such groups. The fledgling Welsh legislature has demonstrated high electoral engagement of women, and this article asks whether this electoral gender balance is mirrored in non-electoral engagement with the wider demos. The empirical evidence presented demonstrates that the representation of women in elected positions is not mirrored in the representation of women in the provision of oral evidence. This poses legitimate questions concerning the quality of Welsh democratic engagement.